This invention is an improvement in the art of furniture glides, which are used to assist in movement of furniture or other fixtures on carpet or other flooring materials. The goal of furniture glides is to reduce friction to facilitate movement and to minimize damage to the flooring or the furniture. Many glides have provided some of these functions but choices were limited in combining the correct means of attachment with a suitable base material for the flooring on which the furniture was to be used. This invention allows for multiple combinations of movements, base styles and materials and means of attachment.
The industry of furniture glides which is the putting of levelers, carpet protection and anti-mar floor leg attachments with swivel motion was started by D. Young, H. Graf and C. Shuppert (U.S. Pat. No. 766,210—1904). Orton C. Little (U.S. Pat. No. 822,963—1906) developed an enclosed device attached to the foot of the furniture leg and had the properties of swiveling and sliding when furniture was moved. Hachmann (U.S. Pat. No. 1,208,546—1916) was the first to devise a replaceable furniture tip for his glide. In 1920, J. A. Johnson was issued U.S. Pat. No. 1,341,133 for a Sliding Shoe for Furniture. He departed from Little by adapting the furniture shoe to attach with a solid pintle stem. In 1928, Oscar Larsen was issued U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,540 for a Furniture Glider Shoe. Larsen attached his furniture shoe by screws into the furniture leg. This shoe was rigid and did not swivel, G. W. Sutton was issued U.S. Pat. No. 1,734,058 (Nov. 5, 1929) for his Sliding Furniture Shoe which provided for load distribution more evenly and for cushioning of the sliding shoe. In 1932, Robert E. Miller was issued U.S. Pat. No. 1,869,574 for a Sliding Caster. A bent wire or a 3 prong attachment afforded a simpler installation by the user.
The next major change came with the onset of tubular style furniture legs. More intricate stamped metal parts were coming into use and attachment devices had to be contrived. By 1960, numerous similar styles were being devised, such as, U.S. Pat. No. 2,854,636 issued to R. J. Gammache for his Universal Furniture Foot which offered a spring steel attachment for inside tubular legs. R. Bock (U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,621—1991) and R. Carpinella (U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,923—2000) both had similar designs with different attachment devices for tubular legs. Thornsbury (U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,368—1958) offered a three piece shoe which is permanently attached to a connector socket for insertion into a tubular leg. The center support piece being a rubber cushion giving support to the inverted pintle resting on the top surface. This glide, however, uses the pintle as the support means and the three pieces are permanently attached. The shape of the inner piece getting its form from the pressure at assembly. The stated peripheral edge portion was formed into a permanent crimp at assembly. Kramcsak (U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,551—1962) also offered a rubber for cushioning of the glide base but was also permanently assembled. It also offered a partial central hole enabling a cushion for only attachment means with the attachment means embedded in the center of the central cushion. The glide of my invention does not rely on the attachment means to assume the weight bearing responsibilities and such means can be interchanged as required. The roller glide of Howard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,271—1975) is a two part non-swivel glide with an optional wheel assembly inserted into the smooth base. Rotation around the center attachment stem is static and the center stem takes on the weight bearing duties. This non-swivel glide is truly a two part assembly whereas my invention is a dual swiveling and rolling three part assembly. Ferencz (U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,982—2002) shows a single piece glide using a pressure fit base to protect the floor from marring. The relatively thick base portion was designed for cushioning only, whereas, the expanded thicker bottom of my outer locking rim has a circumferential indent mating with the glide base offering a removeably mated snap, screw or press connection for assembly and removal and is not intended to provide cushioning for the glide. This, said, expanded bottom also enables the glide base of my invention to be easily removed by finger pressure only without the need for tools. Kenst and Downen (U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,052—2005) show a nailed support base into which is screwed a replaceable base and is a non-swivel glide.
I believe the combination of the choice of attachment means and base styles, along with the tandem swiveling and rolling function and the singular rolling ability of my glide make it a new and advanced design. I believe that my invention further advances the art and science of furniture glides another step and is not anticipated by any of the above prior art.